Epilepsy is a group of diseases, characterized by recurrent seizures, that affect over 65 million people worldwide. In many people with epilepsy, seizures can occur at any time, often without discernable warning. This is extremely disruptive to the lives of epilepsy sufferers; and may prevent them from engaging in activities in which their lives (or the lives of others) may be endangered by the unexpected onset of a seizure. These activities may include driving, operating heavy machinery, and many outdoor activities.
The ability to predict seizures (even only a few seconds in advance) could greatly reduce the detriment of epilepsy; but unfortunately, there are no known effective methods of seizure prediction. More generally, the mechanisms behind why seizures start (and stop) are poorly understood.
Thus, there is a need in the field of neurology to create a method for improved seizure detection. This invention provides such new and useful methods.